On Top of a Tower with My Pops (video)

Some people wonder how I spend my days off… Well, today I spent it at the top of a tower with my dad. I guess there are worse ways to spend a day off

GP

I Guess I’m Not Ready for Mudding… Truck Gets Stuck (video)

Well, I thought it was a good idea. I really did. It seemed good in my mind before it happened. The idea… take my brand new 1988 Ford F-250 truck into the wash and have some fun. I hear people doing it all the time. It was this desire that led to this video right here…

I made it about 10 feet into the Arizona sand before my truck made its home the beach. I guess rear wheel drive F-250′s aren’t meant to drive on deep patches of sand. Who would have thunk?

The great news is that I only had to sit in the middle of nowhere for about 10 minutes before a Jeep drove up and freed me from my captivity.

Overall, a great experience and another opportunity to laugh at myself. Fun times… great memories… and always a story!

Much Love to all My Friends out there!
GP

A 3/4 Ton Miracle in My Life (pics)

Every now and then something so crazy and so miraculous happens in my life that I am left amazed and awed. It actually happens a lot of times in my life and in the wonderful faith community that I have the honor to serve at called THE PLACE, but this one was so ridiculous that I had to share.

The short story is… my van blew up. It was old and had seen better days. It was a Ford Windstar and I wasn’t the best car owner as I would often neglect her and not give her the love that she needed. Whatever the reason… she died.

 This left me in a precarious position. I only had one car. And, in addition to that, I don’t like being forced to make major financial decisions or to operate out of haste or desperation. So, I was being patient.

 My wife found a car online and I came home and looked at it. It had a ton of miles and was at the top of our budget to purchase outright. It only sat five and just felt like it wasn’t the right thing. I nodded and then clicked over to my email. I had a new email… it was from a friend of mine and it simply said something like this…

“My neighbor gave me a truck. Do you need a vehicle or know anyone that needs a vehicle.”

 I picked up the phone and called him. Within 2 hours I was sitting behind the wheel of a ¾ ton truck that was completely mine that was given to me.. title and all!

 Is it the prettiest thing around?… No. Does it run good?… Yes. Would I have been shopping for this kind of transportation?… No. Is it perfect for me now?… Yes!

 

You see, that is how it is sometimes. It may not be exactly what you want… but it’s always what you need. I am so grateful that I have a way to get around town. And I now have a truck which is a necessity for any church planter. I am humbled and in awe at how God worked.

 A couple of interesting facts…

 The guy didn’t know that I was having car trouble when he contacted me.

 I never told him that I needed a car.

 The guy who was giving the car away wanted it to go to a Christian and here it ended up with a pastor.

 If you’re struggling right now, lift that need before God and look for how he will answer. It may not always be exactly how you think He should answer, but He will answer. And be grateful and thankful for His work in your life… today and every day!

 That’s a little insight into my life right now. I hope you enjoyed!

 GP

A Video that Defines My Life (video)

Every now and then you stumble upon something that makes you want to stand up on your chair and scream at the top of your lungs…

“YES!!! THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!! THEY GET IT!!!”

Well, today I had that moment. Some of you know that I have a slogan that I try to live by. It is etched on the grave of my mom and stamped on the soul of my heart. It says…

“Live life to the fullest.”

This pursuit causes me to do things that don’t make sense. It causes me to go against the grain. It causes eyebrows to rise or people to say it can’t be done… but I hold on to the reality that I can do it and it can be done. This desire has taken me from the slums of Rio de Janeiro to the top of the Eiffel tower. It has driven me to write books and teach kids. It is what makes me breathe and a message that I try to share and inspire others.

I stumbled across this video today and it shows me that I’m not the only one. It shows me that there is something stirring in the hearts of people all over. And there are some with the courage to live it out. Today, be that one with the courage to live it out! Enjoy…

GP

A Personal Update: Church, Family and Book

Hey Guys! Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to give any updates on what is new in my life. The great news is that it has been a very busy and productive few months as we’ve started out the 2012 calendar year. Let me break it down into three categories and give you a quick update on each: Church, Family and Book.

Church: The church is doing absolutely amazing. Tara and I are so humbled to lead this awesome faith community in Wickenburg, Arizona called THE PLACE. Most recently, we are in a renovation project and are building the church’s seating capacity by 50%. We have implemented another TV screen and are about to tear down some walls and build others. The chairs are being delivered today and the church is excited about the changes that are taking place. We are also going out into the community to meet people and share the good news with them. We are sponsoring a picnic in a local mobile home park next week and we went out into a neighboring community called Aguila and invited people in both Spanish and English to THE PLACE. Overall, we are moving and growing and trying to become what God has called us to be in our community. 

Family: The family is doing quite well. There are a couple major transitions that have recently transpired or that are on the horizon that are affecting our family in positive ways. First, the older boys (Dylan and Zion), have transitioned from home schooling to public school. It was much easier than we had thought and they are very happy in their school. They are going to school in a town named Congress which boasts a focus on technology and very small student:teacher ratios. (There are about 12 kids per class). This has freed Tara up to focus on some personal goals  and to spend more time with our 3 year old (Xander). Both he and Tara are very happy about that

Book: My book, THE BEST: a life manifesto, recently launched as an Ebook. The paperback copy had been selling since last November, but we launched the ebook in a Kindle exclusive deal about a month ago. I am very pleased that it has hit the digital format and pray that it can get into more hands and impact more people’s lives. I am looking at some speaking engagements linked with the book and gaining a ton of marketing wisdom in this season of life. It’s been a blast to learn new concepts and implement them with the book. It is both challenging and rewarding to be stretched in so many different areas. 

This is just a bird’s eye view of three areas in the Hintz household right now. I know that many of you are praying for us and believing for God’s best every day and I want to thank you so much. He is using us in great ways and every morning I am so humbled that He blesses me with another day to do His will. Stay tuned for more updates and feel free to ask any questions in the comment area. I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have about what’s new in the Hintz house. 

Much Love, 

GP

Book Review: Raising a Modern Day Knight (pic)

Well, 2012 is becoming the year of Fatherhood. Being a father of four, it is something that I always need to keep at the forefront of my mind. But with one of my sons at age 7 and another at age 12, I know that they are at some major crossroads and that I need to be at the top of my game to transition them to the the next level of life. This understanding has brought this newest book into my life: “Raising a Modern Day Knight” by Robert Lewis. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The concept of the book is to revisit the days of Knights and examine their natural transition from boyhood to knighthood. It is very interesting to see that there was a prescribed path for the boys to follow.

“At age 7 or 8 a boy would become a “page”. He was removed from his mother’s care and went to live in a castle, usually with an overlord or relative. Here, the page learned about armor and weapons and falconry, the rudiments of knighthood. He also performed household tasks for the ‘queen of the castle’.

At age 14, the page became a “squire”. He attached himself to a knight and traveled everywhere in his company, serving him in the most menial of tasks: He carried the knight’s lance, woke him in the morning, and even helped him dress. The squire also competed in tournaments and perfected the skills he had learned as a page. Such rigorous discipline prepared him for the final stage of his journey.

When he was 21, he was eligible for knighthood…” pp 16 & 17

Then the book unpacks some different ideas and ways that you can help your son transition from each stage. I came up with a lot of ideas and will be employing some concepts to my sons’ lives as we move forward in their life transitions. It is very practical and doesn’t delve into too many ‘ideological’ ideas.

The book is a very simple read. Weighing in at 163 pages, you will find yourself flying through this book. I did leave it wishing there were more. I wanted things spelled out a little more for me, but I didn’t get that. Instead, I have been forced to use my imagination and come up with some personal ideas to implement which is always a good thing to do too.

Stay tuned because I will be implementing some of the these ideas that I uncovered with my sons in the months to come and I will blog about how they unfolded at www.gphintz.com.

May we, as men, should live with the most important things at the forefront of our minds… “A will to obey (God’s)… A work to do… And a woman to love.”

GP

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Martin Luther King Jr: A Pastor Before a Public Hero (video)

Today is Monday, January 16th and the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. day. This is one of the “national” holidays that I really try to honor by educating my kids of the meaning behind it.

There are a few people that I would consider my personal heroes and Martin Luther King Jr. has always been at the top of my list. Gandhi, Mother Teresa, CS Lewis, Robert Kennedy, Tony Robbins and a few others help to make up a ridiculously diverse bunch of folks who all take the top of this list for different reasons, but MLK has always, and will always, rest at the top.

(Disclaimer: For those who need to know, Jesus is always at the top of my list. In fact, he is so high that he encompasses all lists and trumps every earthly person that could ever be included in my list of influential people. For some reason I thought this disclaimer would be necessary… so there you go )

I am sure it has to do with the reason that he stood for something that he believed in even when the odds were stacked against him. He spoke up when it could have cost him his life. He refused to be silenced by ‘public opinion’ or even personal threats on he and his family. And this courage is exactly what was needed in the midst of this turbulent time in American history.

We are a better country, and ultimately, a better world because of Martin Luther King Jr. However, I think a lot of people don’t realize that long before he was a public figure, he was a pastor. In fact, his father was a pastor and his grandfather was a pastor. He grew up with a deep conviction and love for Jesus and this stand for justice thrust him into the public limelight at just the right time to bring about a change.

It is important that we never forget this simple fact… Martin Luther King Jr. stood for what was right because he believed wholeheartedly that this is what God wanted him to do. His faith in Jesus gave him the courage to believe that change was possible.

Many of us remember King from his speeches in Washington, but his speaking career began long before this opportunity opened up. He was a pastor at Ebeneezer Baptist Church and spoke many eloquent messages that became a precursor for his later, more publicized ministry.

For example, here is the last 10 minutes of a message that he preached at Ebeneezer Baptist Church, a church he co-pastored with his father. This message was given after many of his well known messages, but in the confines of a place where he had opened God’s Word many times before and shared with the members there. This particular message was given on November 1967… only 5 months before his assassination.

You can hear his heart as he preaches with great power and authority.

The message that Dr. King gives near the end of his life carries an almost prophetic tone. You will hear his words around 4 minutes and 20 seconds into this recording:

“If you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to lead.”

Martin Luther King Jr. had found the thing that he was willing to give his life for. He had sought justice for a people who could never repay him for what he did. He followed his conviction that was birthed in the words of Jesus and allowed that to become more important than his comfort or safety.

Dr. King could have took a cushy job on some college campus making great money and living the life, but he said “no”. He could have simply wrote books about social justice and stayed in the confines of a secure home somewhere, but he said “no”. He could have simply stayed quiet and pastored a church that would have paid him a great salary and amazing benefits, but he said “no”. He chose to live for so much more.

What about you? Are you living for something worth dying for? If not, why? If not now, then when? Quit wasting your life away seeking after comfort and security and truly live for something greater than yourself. Until you do that, you are doing yourself… and this world… an incredible injustice!

Much Love,
GP